Commercial Buildings

Case Studies

Intel Corp. has turned the roof of its Santa Clara headquarters into a test of micro-turbine technology built by JLM Energy in Rocklin.

“We talked with over a dozen suppliers of micro turbines to evaluate options,” said Marty Sedler, director of global utilities and infrastructure with Intel. “In this transforming industry, new products with new features and technology are coming out regularly. We conducted a formal bidding and proposal process and based on our requirements, we selected the JLM Zefr for our Santa Clara installation.

JLM’s Zefr micro wind turbines weigh about 30 pounds and stand less than 7 feet tall. The company seeks to make alternative energy usable in a variety of residential and commercial applications. Its systems include software, inverters and controllers that monitor and coordinate electrical needs with existing systems and the grid.

Intel chose JLM to provide 58 micro-turbines they installed atop the roof of their headquarters in Santa Clara, California, in what is a two-fold project aiming at providing renewable energy for the building, as well as acting as a proof of concept project, “in which Intel hopes to collect data that will help the company better understand green power and identify ways to continue evolving its sustainability programs.”

“Based on average local wind speed, we expect the micro-turbines to generate power about 65% of the time, most likely during the often-breezy afternoon hours,” said Marty Sedler, the Director of Global Utilities & Infrastructure for Intel Corporation. “The micro-turbines are JLM Energy “Zefr” model, a small and efficient unit that offers ease of application, making them very versatile.